


Fake Smiles, Empty Meetings

by theauthor2010



Category: Glee
Genre: M/M, Mentors, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-03-20
Updated: 2011-03-26
Packaged: 2017-10-17 04:09:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/172747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theauthor2010/pseuds/theauthor2010
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Blaine is once again dragged to visit one of his father's colleagues. This time, that colleague happens to be one Paul Karofsky.</p><p>Blaineofsky.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Unexpected Meetings

Blaine hated it when his father _invited_ him to come visit his colleagues and coworkers. It always ended the same way. His father would rant and rave about his accomplishments in school and music, then he would subtly convey in some way that his son was straight and fighting off the ladies with a baseball bat. Blaine would end the night absolutely hating his father and hating the fact that he was the number one show pig in Doctor Anderson’s prized pen. It never ended well.

 

Despite knowing just how the night would end, this time Blaine agreed to go without giving the man much of a fight. His father had mentioned that this particular colleague lived in an area of Lima not far from Kurt’s house and Blaine was hopeful that he could steal away to Kurt’s before the spectacle was through.

 

“Who is this guy anyway?” he asked, once they were halfway there.

 

His father was surprised at his attempts to make conversation and launched into a speech explaining. “His name is Paul Karofsky and he’s a professor at the community college outside of Lima. He is very intelligent though and has done a lot of critical research in microbiology. Don’t look so bored, Blaine, I know that my career and my colleagues are uninteresting to you but he has a son about your age. Maybe the two of you can make friends tonight at dinner.”

 

Blaine was left staring at his father, dumbfounded. “Karofsky you say?” he asked, a little bit surprised. There was no doubt that Paul Karofsky was the father of Kurt’s bully, Dave Karofsky. “I think I may already know his son, actually. I visited McKinley High when Kurt was still a student there.”

 

“Oh,” his father said, sounding just about as uninterested as Blaine did when he launched into discussions about cells. “Nice kid?”

 

“You could say that,” Blaine lied. His father would be even more uninterested if Blaine told him that his colleague’s son was the scared, gay, yet homophobic bully who had tortured Kurt and led to his leaving McKinley. His father tended to have selective hearing when it came to matters of the G-word.  Blaine sat back in his seat and waited for them to arrive. He was a little bit nervous, which he knew was silly. Karofsky was harmless with both of their father’s breathing down their necks. He wasn’t going to mess with Blaine.

 

The Karofsky household was relatively average. It was a single story red brick house with a tree in the front. It was very typically Midwestern. It was well-kept and looked as though a very normal, loving family lived there.

 

Blaine’s father rang the doorbell. Blaine stayed very close to him.

 

Paul Karofsky opened the door. “Martin, hello,” he said, smiling brightly. He looked like his son, only much friendlier; he was a big, strong looking man with graying hair and a mustache. He reached out and hugged his father in that fake way that Blaine had seen many of his father’s coworkers and friends do. His father hugged the man back.

 

“This must be your son.”

 

Blaine smiled and reached his hand out to shake the man’s. “My name is Blaine,” he said, tensely. “It’s very nice to meet you, Mr. Karofsky. My father mentioned being a very big fan of the work you’ve done.”

 

He could fake it with the best of them; he was Martin Anderson’s son.

 

“Well, I am also very fond of your father’s work Blaine,” Paul said, smiling pleasantly. 

  
A few moments later, as Paul and his father chat eagerly, the moment that Blaine was waiting for arrived. Dave Karofsky walked out of a back room and frowned awkwardly. Blaine knew the feeling of not wanting to be there.

 

“Oh David, come here,” Paul said. “Martin, Blaine, this is my son David.”

 

Blaine watched as his father shook Karofsky’s hand. He smiled and shook his head. “Dave and I have met at one point,” he said. “I believe I saw him when I was visiting my friend Kurt at McKinley. How are you doing?”

 

“Great,” he said tensely. Blaine could see the terror in his eyes. It was interesting, seeing a strong and confident bully look like he was ready to wet his pants over someone like Blaine. “How about you, Blaine?”

 

“I’m alright myself,” Blaine said.

 

“Why don’t you boys talk?” Paul said pleasantly. He was such a pleasant man, but just about as fake as Blaine’s own father. “I’m sure that if you’ve already met, you have a lot to catch up on. You can go to David’s room.”

 

Blaine raised his eyebrows amused, as Dave Karofsky quickly led him towards his bedroom. He didn’t say anything until they were in his room and the door was closed behind him. Blaine was scared, obviously expecting some kind of threat. He was not expecting what came out of his mouth. “Please, please don’t tell my dad about kissing Kurt,” he said, exhaling heavily. “I didn’t know you were the brilliant kid of my dad’s friend and I just…he’ll kill me, please.”

 

Blaine frowned, instantly. It was surprising, the desperate pleas. “I’m not going to tell your dad you kissed Kurt,” he said firmly. “I’m not going to tell your dad that you kissed Kurt, so can you please stop looking at me like that?”

 

“Like what?”

 

“Like I plan on murdering you the moment you turn your head.”

 

Dave shrugged and sat down. Blaine took the initiative and sat down next to him. “So,” he mumbled, softly. This was probably the most awkward conversation that he ever experienced in his life and Dave did not seem to want to talk. “Enjoy having a biology professor for a dad?”

 

“Nope,” Dave mumbled. “You?”

 

“Definitely not.”

 

His words brought a slight smile to Dave’s usually grim face. He had a nice smile. “How’s school?” he asked, quietly. “Your school sounds like a really nice place.”

 

“It’s very good,” Blaine said. “Kurt is doing really well, just so you know.”

 

“I didn’t ask you that.”

 

“I know, but you were thinking it. He’s adjusting to Dalton as best as he can. I really sense that he wants to go back to McKinley though. That was where his family was.”

 

Dave was quiet.

 

Blaine turned to face him. “Are you really afraid of your father killing you when you come out, or is that some kind of exaggeration?” he asked. “I was afraid of coming out to my dad too.  I honestly don’t think he’s come to terms with my being gay, even now, but he has come nowhere close to killing me.”

 

“I don’t know,” he mumbled.

  
“Talk to me, Dave.”

 

It was a demand.  Blaine figured that he would use this encounter to his advantage. He was very interested in the bully, who had made Kurt’s life a living hell because of his own repressed emotions, but of course his interest in Dave Karofsky had defaulted to Kurt because Kurt was the victim, Kurt was the one hurting. He had an opportunity though with this.

  
“I don’t know what you want me to say,” Karofsky said. “He doesn’t like queers; he’s made that pretty clear. I’d hate to see what happens when he finds out his kid is a big one.”

 

“Why did you kiss Kurt?” he asked. “I mean, I get that you’re dealing with your sexuality, but what did you hope to accomplish by kissing Kurt?”

 

“I didn’t mean to kiss him!” Dave yelled, standing up. “I was going about my business and then he was just in my face, again. He was always in my face, a reminder of absolutely everything that’s wrong with me! Then, he tells me that I’m scared and shit and I lost it, okay? I wanted to show him…”

 

“Show him what?”

 

Blaine knew that he was playing a very dangerous game, messing with the mind of a violent young man, but he couldn’t stop himself. He wanted to get into the head of this boy for the longest time and now he was going straight inside.

 

“I don’t know! That I was gay too? That not everyone is free to strut around like the queen of the fucking queers! I wasn’t exactly thinking.”

 

“Keep calm,” Blaine warned the other teenager. “I’m sure our fathers will hear if you don’t quite down.”

 

Karofsky immediately sat down and shut his mouth.

 

 “You see my dad out there?” Blaine asked, crossing his arms. “He’s not an outright homophobe but he definitely sucks sometimes. He does everything in his power to convince himself that my being gay is just a phase and even tries to hook me up with daughters of his friends. I’m honestly glad you’re not a girl; because there would be no doubt that we’d be hooked up on some kind of date right now. I can’t talk about boys I like; I can’t even talk about the gay rights issues that mean so much to me…”

 

“Is your crappy life supposed to make me feel better?”

 

“No,” Blaine said. “It’s just supposed to calm you down and help you realize that not every gay guy lives with a dad like Kurt Hummel’s. Sometimes it sucks, being gay, but like I told you the very first day I met you David, you are not alone.”


	2. Not alone

“Will you cut it out with the ‘not alone’ bullshit?” Dave asked. His voice had become much quieter all of a sudden and he looked very uncomfortable. Blaine could tell that he was on the verge of breaking down and felt bad. He had not intended for it to get that far. “I don’t know why you people always have to go on and on about how we’re not alone. Everyone is alone, dealing with their own crappy lives and the things they hate. Everyone is out for themselves, even if they’re like you.”

“Like me?” Blaine asked gently, turning and looking the other boy directly in the eye. “What exactly does ‘like me’ mean?”

“You know what I mean,” Dave muttered, looking more flustered than ever. His face was even turning a bright color of red that was kind of endearing. “You’re one of those preachy, lovey-dovey happy people, but really, you’re just projecting the stuff you lack onto people like me and even people like Hummel. It’s obvious.”

“And Kurt said you were dumb…” Blaine commented, shaking his head. It was very obvious that Dave Karofsky was anything but dumb, but he definitely put up that kind of front. He did it to protect himself, it seemed, but in intimate moments like this one Blaine was absolutely blessed to see the boy that lay underneath the hard exterior of a bully; he could tell that he was dealing with someone who matched or even exceeded him in intelligence. “Maybe you’re right about me. I do project. I projected on Kurt by telling him to stand up to you, because I never stood up to the people who brought me down. I ran away from them, so I projected my own issues onto Kurt when I told him not to run away.”

Blaine shook his head a little, dismissing his own raging thoughts. This wasn’t about him. This was about getting through to the other young man and all of the conflicts that had turned him into who he was.

“What are you so afraid of?” he asked. “Is it really your father ‘killing you?’ or are you afraid of something else?”

Their eyes were locked on one another for a long period of time. Blaine hardly dared to blink. He wanted to know the answer so badly.

“I’m afraid of being hated.”

It was a short statement that left much to the imagination, but it meant a lot to Blaine that he had even been able to get that much out of him. “You’re already hated, you know?” he said, tilting his head to the side sadly. He felt kind of rude for saying it like that, but it was true. People already hated David Karofsky for who he was. “Well, maybe not hated, but people are already fearful of you. You take your fear out by bullying and people hate what you’ve done to them.”

“They respect me,” he said.

“Being disrespected,” Blaine said, momentarily breaking the eye contact as he thought about it. Dave’s real fear stemmed from the disrespect that would come from his family and peers when they learned that he was gay.

“Now, being disrespected is a whole different fear. I have to admit that it is terrifying, dealing with someone treating you as less than human because you like boys instead of girls. It’s also terrifying when someone regards a moment of affection between you and your significant other as ‘gross’ or ‘unnatural.’ Being disrespected by people who once had so much respect for you is something that I deal with every day, Dave. I am afraid of being disrespected too, but I can’t deny who I am.”

He sighed and let his eyes fall back onto David Karofsky’s fallen face.

“What do you want from life?” he asked, gently.

“I want to be respected,” Dave said back, his voice a little louder. “I want the gay thing to not matter. It doesn’t change who I am. I’m me. I’m the same guy and nobody should be able to care about the gay thing.”

“We all want to live in that world,” Blaine said tenderly. “It doesn’t quite exist yet, unfortunately, but, but you know what? Your limited high school world? That does end. There’s a whole world out there and there are places and people where you’ll be accepted for who you are.”

He rubbed a hand over his face but kept talking, even though it felt forced and awkward. “It’s why I told you that you weren’t alone,” he said seriously. “There are a lot of other gay kids out there, of course, but there are also people who are allies, who don’t give a care who you’re into. You need better friends, ones who would never change their opinion about you because of who you’re attracted to.”

Blaine kept talking. He was sort of bothering himself with the rambling but the bigger teen was just sitting there and staring at him as if his head were on fire. He had to keep talking, even if he was starting to annoy even himself.

“You could gain so many experiences with open and accepting friends, like the ones I have in my life. You could gain support from people who understand your fears of being disrespected, hurt, all that. You could also find romantic encounters that are different and much better than forcing a kiss on the only open gay guy you see. You’re worth more.”

“You sound like a bad PSA or a Dr. Phil episode,” Karofsky huffed at him.

Blaine paused and nodded. He knew that he did, so instead he tried something else.

He scooted over on the bed and looked at Dave, before he laid a quick but firm kiss on the bigger boy’s lips. The shocked sound that came out of the jock made Blaine laugh under his breath, but moments later, he was kissing back cautiously. He was a very good kisser and seemed to know what he was doing, despite inexperience. Blaine pulled back before it could become too intense. He met the other boy’s stunned expression with a cheesy smile. Maybe that wasn’t the best way to deal with a suffering closeted gay boy, but it certainly beat preaching and Dave looked like he was close to smiling, underneath the panting and confusion.

“Okay, your point with that?” Dave asked, trying to hide the fact that he was breathing rather heavily. He got up and walked a couple of feet away from Blaine before he could turn around and look him in the eye again.

“Well, I just figured that since I was being preachy and you just compared me to the creepiest bald dude ever, that I would point out what kind of good experiences you can have if you at least come out to some good, trusting friends.”

Well that was creepy, Anderson, Blaine told himself mentally.

“Gay dudes like to kiss their friends at random?”

Blaine chuckled.

“If they’re attracted to them, sometimes they do.”

He shrugged a little bit and bounced a little where he sat. “You really gotta take control of your life,” Blaine said.

“Okay, I got you, Phil. I get what you’re trying to say.”


	3. Change

“Do you really understand?” Blaine asked softly.

He looked up at Dave, wondering if he really understood what was being said. He felt for him, so deeply. In front of him sat a guy who was so much more than a bully. He was a kid who was in pain and hated that he could not be who people wanted him to be. Blaine couldn’t help the attraction that brought him closer and closer to the other boy. He had sort of kissed him, but that was just one of those impulsive things Blaine did sometimes.

He saw a lot of hurt in the bully’s nice brown eyes. He had seen a flash of it during their brief meeting early in the year but now he saw just how alike they were. They both lived in almost identical worlds but they dealt with their pain differently.

Dave pulled away from his gaze. “I understand what you’re tryin’ to say,” he said finally. “I just have no idea where to start. Kissing was kinda cool and all.”

He was also so painfully awkward. It was cute, the big bumbling boy just stumbling over his words and actions. Blaine smiled and tilted his head to the side. He had always had a soft spot for big awkward dorks and he saw one beneath the surface of the bully who’d terrified Kurt so. “That would be nice,” he said.

He scooted up and kissed Dave again, a tiny peck that turned into something a bit deeper. Dave cupped the side of his face and Blaine kissed him slowly, dragging it out. He practically shifted into the bigger boy’s lap.

Blaine had definitely not planned on this. He tilted Dave back and kissed him heatedly. He was making out with Kurt’s bully. Oh yeah, that wasn’t a good thing was it? It felt so damned good though that it left Blaine breathless.

“There’s so much more to you,” he said, unable to stop smiling. It was goofy and he felt just a little bit stupid. He knew this was probably a bad idea because Dave was an insecure, unstable person but really, how long ago had it been since Blaine was insecure and a tad unstable? About three years, tops, honestly. “I want to know more.”

“Mph,” Dave moaned and Blaine figured he was probably more interested in the kissing than the talking.

Just as he started to think of more to say to the larger boy, he heard a voice. It was Dave’s father. “Boys, dinner’s ready.”

Dave groaned and Blaine was just as disappointed. He very quickly straightened up his jacket and brushed a hand through his hair. “Do I look like I’ve been making out with a total stud?” Blaine asked, chuckling.

Dave looked back at him, confused, almost as if he doubted whether or not Blaine was genuine. “No stud here,” he said. “But no, you look fine.”

They walked into the dining room, where their fathers were already seated at the table. They both sat down and looked around awkwardly. Blaine pushed his food around and took a couple of bites, watching Dave from over the top of his drinking glass.

“So, Blaine, you’re a handsome fellow,” Paul said, talking calmly, conversationally. “Do you have a girlfriend? Your father tells me you go to an all-boy’s school. It must be hard to get a date that way.”

Blaine coughed. “No sir,” he said, like the trained monkey he was. There was no way he could talk about the G-word and he knew it.

Dave looked obviously and suddenly uncomfortable. “Dad, that’s rude to ask if he has a girlfriend,” he said pointedly. “Not everyone is you know, immediately into girls.”

Blaine was mortified for a moment but then a wave of relief rushed over him, having someone there to defend him from the heteronormative life that his father forced upon him. He looked at Dave and the bigger boy gave him a half smile. It wasn’t coming out of the closet exactly, but he had done a fantastic job exposing his household to the fact that some people were gay. Blaine felt his heart fluttered just a little bit.

“I’m sorry Blaine, that’s my mistake,” Paul said easily. On the other side of the table, Blaine watched his father’s face redden all the way down to the pulsing vein in his neck. He wondered briefly if Mr. Karofsky was just being polite in good company or something, because he seemed a lot more comfortable with his son’s words than Blaine’s own father did.

“It’s alright,” he said softly, looking from his father and then over to Dave. “Some people are gay and it’s natural to assume otherwise, but yeah, unfortunately I am still single. That could change some time in the future, maybe, if I meet the right guy. Or you know, form a bond with a guy that I already know.”

“Did you want more Paul?” his father asked, handing the other man a bowl of potatoes.

Blaine groaned a little bit but he couldn’t help smile at the way Dave was looking at his father with total respect. Maybe there was hope for him and he wasn’t doomed to be the repressed, closeted bully that he had been before. Maybe his life wouldn’t be perfect, like Blaine’s, but he could come into something new.

After a few more moments, Blaine excused himself from the table. He went to the bathroom and when he came out Dave was standing in front of him. He looked like a lost puppy, wanting to know that he had done a good job. Blaine tried to keep the dopey smile from forming on his face. “That was adorable,” he said honestly. “I also really don’t know how to thank you for standing up to my dad and saying that for me. My dad endlessly tries to pretend I’m straight, especially when there’s someone to impress, so he would have been furious if I answered your father’s question with anything but, ‘no sir.’”

“I wanna try,” he mumbled, barely speaking at all. “I mean maybe it’ll be okay…”

Blaine nodded, so suddenly proud. “Hey,” he said, looking back to the kitchen. “It’s gonna be awhile before those two stop talking. We should go back to your room.”

“Deal.”


End file.
